On Tuesday night, it was ABC’s turn. At the invitation of Apple, Nightline host Bill Weir was provided what was billed as unfettered access to the big Foxconn factory in Shenzen, China, where Macs, iPads and iPhones are made. The30-minute episode opened with an appropriate disclaimer: That Disney owns ABC, that Disney’s CEO is a member of Apple’s board of directors, that the Steve Jobs Trust is the single biggest Disney shareholder. Still Weir said he “only agreed to report exactly what I saw”.

While providing an interesting look inside the sprawling facility, Weir didn’t uncover anything shocking or different from what Daisey and the NYTimes reported. About the most surprising fact I heard: That 3,000 line up for recruiting sessions each Monday at the Foxconn factory, and that about 85 percent of the applicants are hired.

For the most part, we got shots of row after row of Foxconn workers bent over workbenches as they assembled, inspected and tested Apple products. Weir said he could speak to any Foxconn employee at will, and the ones shown on camera were friendly and cooperative.

He said he heard the types of complaints one often hears at all factories – wages aren’t high enough, hours are too long and the work can be boring. Weir also got a glimpse into the overcrowded dorms, where workers sleep 7 to a room. He then ventured into the Chinese countryside to show where many of these young employees come from, and their living conditions back home were much worse.

Weir did not see evidence of underage employees, use of dangerous, toxic chemicals or employees who were despondent. But then, he was invited by Apple to tour at the same time that the Fair Labor Association was making its own, non-surprise inspections, so you wouldn’t expect serious problems to be out in the open. In fact, there are now reports appearing that Foxconn gave workers extra breaks and didn’t schedule underage employees while inspectors were present.

Not that Weir didn’t try. He’s shown asking all the right questions, and his narration seemed to include a hint of frustration that he didn’t unearth abuses. For example, at one point he asks the head of the FLA if the fact that Foxconn knows the inspectors are coming means the team won’t get a real picture of what happens at the plant.

The story does a lot for actually helping to give a human face to people who have been ignored forever.

But context is everything. Here are some selected quotes from the article that illuminate Foxconn’s control and Nightline’s methodology:

When Apple first called, I assumed this audit would include a surprise inspection. But Foxconn has known for days that we were coming…there were always five to six people with us as we toured the factories and dorms.

So Nightline had unrestricted access and could talk to whomever they chose, but there were always a group of Foxconn people with them at all times. So workers have a news crew, with cameras and lights, and a number of Foxconn executives shadowing them, and in that environment they were expected to tell their stories.

Frankly, the fact that workers talked as much as they did is remarkable, and congruent with my experiences.

Over three days in two cities, “Nightline” spoke with dozens of Foxconn workers

Let’s assume this means 36 hours or so on the ground in each city, and 8 or 9 hours for sleep each night—it’s basically a work day (an American one—remember, 12 hour shifts are standard at Foxconn) to do all the interviewing of workers, see the facilities, speak with the FLA, speak with Foxconn executives, do assessments, build trust, and search out labor violations—all while you have the cameras, the lights, and the aforementioned Foxconn executives in tow.

Because of the circumstances, the Nightline report’s “meh” factor doesn’t come as a surprise. There were, however, some interesting statistics about the gadgets being built there, whichThe Verge distilled:

It takes 141 steps to make an iPhone, and the devices are essentially all handmade

It takes five days and 325 hands to make a single iPad

Foxconn produces 300k iPad camera modules per day

Foxconn workers pay for their own food — about $.70 per meal, and work 12 hour shifts

Workers who live in the dorms sleep six to eight a room, and pay $17.50 a month to do so

Workers make $1.78 an hour

New employees at Foxconn undergo three days of training and “team building” exercises before they begin

Do these reports make you feel any different about the high-tech products you’re buying that are made here? Is Apple and the rest of the industry doing enough to insist on adequate working conditions for these employees?

Update: One other thought . . . the optimist in me would hope that the additional scrutiny on Foxconn means more than just cosmetic or temporary changes. It’s possible that what Weir saw and heard from workers during his visit is now the norm, even if it hasn’t always been. The FLA’s final report is expected to include details from company records and private interviews with lots of employees, and should present a clearer picture.

Of course, the limelight will fade over time, and the real test will be what happens in Shenzen when fewer people are looking.